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Resident Evil director defends ending, reveals alternate cut was dropped

Vince MaglayaPublished 16h ago2 min readBased on 3 sources
Resident Evil director defends ending, reveals alternate cut was dropped
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Resident Evil director Zach Cregger says he would not change the film's ending, even though some viewers did not like it.

The film, directed by Cregger, was released in theatres on 18 September 2026. Cregger said he respects viewers who dislike the ending but disagrees with them. He is not changing it. GameSpot

The ending, as released, turns the story on its head. Austin Abrams plays Bryan, who is bitten by a child and becomes an infected demon. That transformation makes the film the origin story of a monster. A syringe holding the cure to the virus shatters on the ground, closing off rescue.

Cregger said the ending was almost totally different in its original version. In that cut, the cure syringe also broke, but Bryan then went on a killing spree. Feedback from test screenings, early shows held to gauge audience reaction, called that version deflating and said it made the story feel over.

So Cregger switched to a filmed Plan B. That alternate sequence asks the audience to root for Bryan to be cured. The director said that version kept hope alive for longer, even if the final result still divided some viewers.

Earlier reporting on those test screenings said audiences liked the film, but it tested much better after Cregger stripped away the jokes. The Hollywood Reporter

Cregger discussed the switch in detail with Abrams in a spoiler interview conducted by Collider's Perri Nemiroff at Fantastic Fest. The video was published on 19 September 2026 under the title 'Resident Evil Spoiler Interview: Zach Cregger & Austin Abrams on Monster Design, Alternate Ending'. Collider Interviews It runs for 21 minutes 55 seconds and carries a warning that it contains full story, creature and ending spoilers for RESIDENT EVIL (2026). Collider identifies Cregger with Barbarian and Weapons.

What makes this stand out is how open the swap was. Directors often reshoot quietly. Here the backup ending was already in the can, and the choice came down to which feeling Cregger wanted viewers to leave with.

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